


me too, but about you

by daeyeols (sungyeols)



Category: Golden Child (Korea Band), Lovelyz
Genre: Alternate Universe - War, Drama & Romance, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-01 21:30:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17251733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sungyeols/pseuds/daeyeols
Summary: Mijoo gets introduced to the lieutenant of Platoon 828 when she returns from dinner.She kind of half expected some big middle aged man filled with scars from the war, but the lieutenant is young, must be as young as her, and as thin as a bamboo pole. His skin is tan and dirtied, but his face unscathed and devoid of any kind of scar. He looks like he belongs in a magazine instead of the battlefield.





	me too, but about you

**Author's Note:**

> may 2019 be the year of the rise of our favorite sweet crack team up of mijoo and daeyeol ♡

The war left no room for leisure and anything else that was usually enjoyed by people back then. It’s been a while since Mijoo has had enough time to sleep, or ‘beauty rest’ as what they called it before. 

It’s been quite some time since when the war broke out, and majority of it is a blur to her now with how the days moved past. Some countries declared war and made alliances, and South Korea, having one of the biggest military forces, played a huge role in it. It led to millions of deaths on all parties, and the country now is like a whole different world. It’s all rubble on the outside, there are less and less people recently, and everything is scarce—from food to medical supplies and even almost breathing air. Enemy soldiers occasionally attacked their country, coming for the living survivors, as if humans are nothing but inanimate useless objects. 

She is a doctor, or what passes as one, despite not graduating from medical school. She was only at this point because she was one of the helpers who remained, the others having left and abandoned their posts or just died while trying to help and save the others. She only managed to finish three years in med school—but during and after the war there was a demand for those knowledgeable and nobody batted an eyelash when she made a slip up, doing a wrong stitch or accidentally poking the wrong vein when inserting the IV. The men and women and children need somebody who can save them, or as much as try to. 

Mijoo stays a little outside of Old Seoul, no more than 10 minutes, in a base that was formed from a whole school by one of the squadrons back then. It’s like a small village type guarded and surrounded by some men around the perimeter. There’s the big house that the soldiers call their headquarters, which is the auditorium, and beside that is the makeshift hospital. It’s originally a gymnasium but they have arranged it to make it convenient and easy to bring in bodies back and forth and tend to them. The other survivors, the small fraction recovered from nearby areas, reside in the classrooms, and the canteen is there for the people to get their rations and then the communal bathroom. Everything outside of the school is pretty much destroyed or looted, so they only make do with what they have and what is rationed to them by the government whenever they remember that some people still exist. 

She just finished doing her rounds when Joochan, one of the younger patrols run towards her direction.

“What is it?” She asks immediately.

“Platoon 828 just returned with injured civilians and several wounded soldiers. They’re already on their way here using the jeep.” 

“Then let’s make room for them. Myungeun, call the rest immediately and prepare the beds!” 

 

—

 

Mijoo used to be fascinated with the human body, which is exactly why she decided to take up medicine. Nobody said it was going to be tiring and mentally exhausting for her, and the emotional distress and fatigue that comes along with it. During the height of the war, she used to cry over every death, how she couldn’t save them, but then at some point she got used to it oddly, and just does her best to not let them die or not make it too painful for them, which is her goal. 

Two civilians had already died on her when Platoon 828 came, and now she just finished doing a tourniquet on one of the more badly wounded soldiers who couldn’t stop screaming in pain. 

The whole hospital is bustling, the staff with dirtied white robes running back and forth. There are noises of different proportions, highly likely that they’ve already run out of anesthesia again at this point. It’s always like this, but the officials just tell them to make do with what they have at least until the supply drop returns. There are barely enough resources as it is.

She isn’t the person in charge of running this whole place, a small middle aged woman named Soojung is, but Mijoo is placed second in command after her so she oversees what everyone is doing as well, making sure supplies aren't being overused, and the new trainees aren’t too shaken to make a fatal mistake. 

Once everything is mostly settled and everyone is tended to, she steps out of the gym to take in some fresh air and stretches her body. She hasn’t found a proper stress reliever yet for stressful times like this, as she doesn’t have any time mostly for anything else other than sleep. Back before the war she used to love performing and acting, now the only acting she’s ever done is telling the patients that they’ll be fine even though there is a lack of sepsis and they’re already dying. 

Somebody moves from the corner of her eye and she is startled, but it was only Sujeongㅡone of their resident nurses. She’s sipping on a small cup of what seems to be passable coffeeㅡthe real coffee beans are a rare commodity so they have to make do with the artificial processed powder that comes with the supply drop. 

“How long have you been here?” Mijoo asks her. 

“A while, before you came out. I haven’t slept in 2 days, so I need all the energy I can get. 3 civilians died on me due to infections. You can say I’m having quite a day.” 

Mijoo nods at her and sits beside her on the crates.

“Who are they?” Mijoo gestures at the soldiers now by the door on the end side of the hospital.

“I think that’s the rest of Platoon 828 that came earlier.” 

“Do we even have space anymore?” 

“We have all the space we can get. The question here is that do we still have resources left?” 

“God knows. I just miss that time where I got to eat pizza.”

“Don’t make me even more hungry than I already am. I’m so sick of the bread it just tastes like sand to me.” Sujeong says as she sips more of her coffee. 

 

—

 

Mijoo gets introduced to the lieutenant of Platoon 828 when she returns from dinner.

She kind of half expected some big middle aged man filled with scars from the war, but the lieutenant is young, must be as young as her, and as thin as a bamboo pole. His skin is tan and dirtied, but his face unscathed and devoid of any kind of scar. He looks like he belongs in a magazine instead of the battlefield. 

“I’m Lieutenant Lee Daeyeol of Platoon 828. Thank you for taking care of my soldiers as well as the civilians we brought on short notice.” the lieutenant says formally. 

“It’s alright. That’s our job. We have to make ends meet for them to survive or else your hard work would have been for nothing.” she says, thinking it came off different in her head than when she said it. The Lieutenant didn’t seem to mind it though, and he smiles politely at her. “I’m Lee Mijoo by the way. Sometimes a doctor, sometimes a second officer in charge here in our wonderful makeshift hospital, at most times.” she extends her hand and Daeyeol gives her a firm handshake. 

“Nice meeting you Doctor Lee. I actually came by to check on my men, and you and your staff seemed to have made miracles on some of them. I’m both impressed and thankful for that. We need all the hands we can get on board.” 

“Thanks. Not a lot of people take time to take doctors recently. Mostly because there’s not a lot of people anymore.” she comments.

“Yeah. These past few days we have been doing clearance operations, mostly trying to salvage as much as we can. It’s kind of barren out there on the surface. We try to see if we missed anybody, but out there it’s just a whole graveyard. It’s worse when there’s a guerilla attack. We can only save as much.” Daeyeol says, glancing at one of his men near them who had to have one of his arms cut off.  “Anyway, I’ll leave my men to you and your colleagues’ care for now, I won’t interrupt any more operations here. If there is anything needed by my men or even the civilians, we’ll just be in the Big House.” 

“Copy that.” she says, nodding to him. 

“Thanks Doctor.” 

“You’re welcome.”

“I guess I’ll just see you around.”

“It’s a small world after all.” she replies cheekily and the lieutenant lets out a little chuckle at it. 

She turns around just in time for her to bump into Sujeong by the shoulders. 

“Well he’s hot!” she remarks, and Mijoo just drags her back to work. 

 

—

 

Mijoo is taking her morning coffee when somebody sits in front of her in the commissary.

It’s the lieutenant again, and he sets down his tray that has a mug of steaming coffee and 2 portions of bread. He’s wearing camo pants and a shirt that hugs his form. He has ditched the coat and cap so his messy black hair is partially dripping on him. He must’ve just emerged from a shower. 

Mijoo just  _ cannot _ deny that he looks good, even better than when she first met him. She suddenly felt self conscious for some reason, thinking if she had washed her face earlier after waking up. 

“Good morning.” he politely greets, handing over one of the portions. “Here, have some.” 

“Thanks.” she takes the bread and sets it down beside her coffee.

“You’re up early.” he starts after glancing at his watch. Mijoo looks at the clock by the door to see it’s a little around 4AM. 

“Well, you’re here too. You’re up early as well.” 

“Can’t sleep. It’s always like this. My dream is to have a good night’s sleep—or at least something close to that.” 

“I understand. We get a lot of that here, just last night I had to comfort a soldier who was having nightmares. He was bloody screaming. If there was just something that we could do to ease the pain in their minds as quick as counting to 3 I would do it.” she eases him, and he nods a little. The world is really cruel, it gives little to nothing but takes away so much from them. 

“Tell me when you’ve discovered a cure for it, I’ll be the first one in line.” he chuckles, sipping on his coffee. 

“So, what’s your story lieutenant?” she prods. 

“You can just call me Daeyeol—and, I’ll tell if only you tell yours.” 

Mijoo sits upright. “Okay, so I’m a med school student. I just wanted to be a doctor. There wasn’t nothing too stellar about it. I was just a typical med school student, burying myself in books and eating cup noodles in uni. The war happened, and I was immediately promoted from assistant to doctor, when more of them died in the field or left their posts. Saved me a lot of time and money in med school to be honest. The whole war felt like my internship.” she shrugs, taking a bite into the bread Daeyeol brought her. 

“Did your family make it?” 

“I don’t know. I lived way too far away from them, and there was no time and resources to go back to them. I used to think about them a lot, but the more bodies that came in, there was less time for me to entertain other thoughts. I want to hope that at least some of them were able to get shelter, or hid well enough to be safe.” she heaves a sigh as she says it. She hasn’t talked about her past for quite some time already, as nobody wanted to listen and nobody seemed to care enough. She feels some weight get lifted off her chest when she had finally let it out. It’s been a while. It used to be really painful and confusing for her, trying to deal with a lot of emotions all at once, but the war had numbed her and made her into somebody that lives to survive, and to help others do that as well. “Okay, now your turn.”

“Well, my family used to live in Yongin. I was in a base in Daegu at the time, serving in the army. When it broke out we were the first to mobilize. Everything was just a massive blur of bombings and a flurry of days passing by. It was crazy. We were losing so much in so little time, I was sure we were just going to be wiped out in days. But we kept on going on. If we were going down at least we went down fighting and trying until the very end.” Daeyeol sips his own coffee.

“But you’re still here, you all are. So that’s something.” she comments.

“For some unbelievable stroke of luck, yeah. My men now are just a small quarter than what we’ve started with honestly. I was only promoted to lieutenant because there weren’t much left and I had to step up. Anyway we moved North, charging with what we have and what the government can provide us, clearing areas for implants and mines and saving civilians along the way. We got to Yongin before we were here, and—and I just had to go.”

“Did you get to see them?” she asks, like a whisper suspended between them.

“No, I didn’t see anything when I got there. It was like a ghost town. Yongin was one of the first areas that got bombed. Wishful thinking wasn’t even in my head. I just accepted it from the very beginning. But I still went because it was the place I grew up in, it had the people I cared for and knew. Now it’s just one of the many damages.” 

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. It was inevitable.” 

“This is such a dark topic for a second conversation.” she points out and Daeyeol smiles at her from across the table.    
“Yeah I kinda noticed.” he says and chuckles awkwardly. Despite him coming in the other day strong, like a true leader—but now he seems like a shy man in his twenties. Like someone you knew in a neighborhood growing up, a constant in a familiar place. She feels comfortable with him though, at ease like she was with her coworkers in the hospital. It’s odd, because ever since the war it took her long enough to truly trust people and build connections with them—unless she knew they were staying for long. She always had to be sure. But with Daeyeol even though they just met twice he had already managed to snag the trust of her gut feel.

“How are you though? You didn’t get checked up in the hospital for any injuries or anything the other day?” she asks him, eyes scanning him. He didn’t seem to have any major visible injuries in him that can be seen with the naked eye at first, but she’s sure underneath the clothes there are remnants of it. Not that she wants to see personally what his torso looks like. Not yet. 

“I’m fine. I got scratches and cuts, nothing I can’t clean with water and a cloth. I got lucky this time. My comrades however, had suffered worse, and I wish I could’ve done more for them.” 

“You bringing them here was already a lot. Some of them wouldn’t have made it if you didn’t bring them here as fast as you can. A few more minutes or hours and most of them would’ve been just part of the numbers now.” 

“Some of them are lucky, they still have family to come back to in other camps. Their work here had guaranteed their family shelter. So if the government says for us to jump off a building, none of us would hesitate. Some of us have nothing to lose, and some of us has a lot still. They would do anything to protect their families. I would do anything to protect them and try to save what’s left of us.” Daeyeol tells her, fingers playing with the end of the dog tag he’s wearing. 

“You sound like, Captain America with your cute ideals. Like a superhero.” she can’t stop but tell him. 

“It was my wish as a child. It was cool to have superpowers. Captain was also my favorite back then.”

“Okay so from now on, you’re Captain Yongin then.” 

“Oddly enough it has a ring to it. I like it.” 

“As you should, I have baptized you with it.” 

“I am honored, Doctor Lee.”

“Mijoo. You can just call me Mijoo.” 

 

—

 

The days pass by uneventful in their little base. Oddly enough.

Usually there would be days non stop where they would be hearing rumbling from a distant area, which means there are tanks from the enemy line that are roving around, or are killing innocent civilians on sight. Sometimes the sound would be so near she would be already putting her sneakers on, ready to jump on call when the work requires her to it. It’s high key the reason why she only sleeps in intervals, and very lightly, because once the alarm rings they have to be ready to either hide, save as much as they could, or die. There aren’t any other options. 

The killings are still rampant, and every now and then they would hear about a location being bombed, and there isn’t a single thing that would save them if it happens there. 

She had been preoccupied with keeping the medical operations up and running, requesting for supplies and helping with training the new ones. She had seen Daeyeol on various occasions, when passing by and they give a polite greeting to each other. One early morning, he offered her bread again in the commissary, and he had told her they would be staying for a little bit more since they’re still waiting for government orders. He told her there had been rumors of talks, but nothing is too certain. She hopes whatever it is that they plan to do, it works so they can just live in peace again—or as close as what peace can they experience ever again. Daeyeol is reassuring—and with the way he talks he’s like always giving a motivational speech. She’s surprised mostly because he’s naturally kind and intellectual—unlike the stereotype of high ranking soldiers that she typically had in her mind. He’s always attentive, listening to her drone about medical supplies even tho he doesn’t have to, and asks her about things as well in order for them to continue the conversation. She actually enjoyed the company he would offer when they chat in the commissary, and she ends up sharing more things with him as they go along. She was close with her colleagues, but there wasn’t really anyone that she was able to connect with like a comfortable friend like with Daeyeol. 

Sujeong who once saw them together gave her a raised eyebrow with a knowing look, and it took her 2 shifts and a portion of her lunch just to stop Sujeong on talking about it too much, or even worse—spreading news about it.   
Earlier that day Daeyeol had dropped by on the reception where she was conveniently situated and had given her a sandwich (a rare commodity nowadays!) and a small bottle of juice (an even rarer commodity!) to which she wanted to decline but Daeyeol kept on insisting. 

“I already got my fill, and I got an extra so I just wanted to give it to you. I know you haven’t eaten yet since I asked around in the commissary.” he said as he gave her the food then.

“I heard from the soldiers in the ward that he doesn’t have a girlfriend.” Sujeong tells her as if this is juicy news, when they’re sitting down in the reception. “One of them said he did, but they broke off before the war when he was in the army. I don’t know the legitimacy of that one but I’m buying the one with the most survey points.” 

“He doesn’t seem to be looking for one. He’s busy.” 

Sujeong crosses her arms and gives her a mean stare.

“Well does he had to have a neon sign that says ‘I want a girlfriend’ for you to apply as one? Work is work, play is play.” Sujeong points out. 

“I don’t know. I’m kind of fine with what we have right now and I don’t want to ruin that. Even if there’s something else or I have feelings I won’t risk it. Reliable people are hard to come as they go now. He’s a good friend. I’m pretty sure he’s just on the same wavelength as I am.” 

Sujeong takes the bottle of juice and waves it in her face. 

“I have not had juice in ages. This is a rare commodity whose majority was destroyed in the war along with other consumer goods. You believe he would just give this to you just because he had an extra? He could have given it to his other army friends as well? Also, he’s hot and smart. I heard he’s in the top of every training class they had in the army.” 

“I mean he could’ve given me, just because he had an extra. We  _ are _ friends.” she says, moving her file to the next page. “Like I said, I don’t want to put on a label that’s not meant for a different package. We’re friends who get along now. That’s fine enough for me.”

 

—

 

Mijoo is just going back to get some clean clothes when she passes by Daeyeol in one of the hallways. It’s half past 2 AM at the time when she looks at her watch and she walks towards him. 

“It’s late, can’t sleep?” she asks him. 

“Yeah. Bad dreams.” he says, leaning on the post. He’s wearing a flimsy tank top, and jogging pants. “What are you doing up so late?” 

“I’m on a straight shift. I was just going back to get a fresh change of clothes.” 

“I’ll accompany you there. I can’t sleep anymore anyway.” he says, walking towards the direction she was walking to. She catches up to him and they walk quietly, nothing but the light of the moon illuminating the area and the sound of nothing around them being too haunting. 

“I have never asked you, but how old are you again? I was born in 94.”

“I’m just a year older. I had my birthday last February. We were in the heat of the war at the time, and I spent my birthday trying to just not get killed in the battlefield.” 

“We can have an advanced birthday party. There won’t be seaweed soup, but at least there’s your life to celebrate for?” she proposes. He gives a non committed hum. 

They slip in a short silence for a while again, and Mijoo can feel that Daeyeol wants to say something but she doesn’t know how to start.

“Do you want to talk about it? I’m here to listen.” she finally says after a few seconds, turning her head to look at Daeyeol to see his reaction. His face is unreadable and he sighs before speaking.

“I keep on dreaming about one thing recently. That I came home from school to find my mom has cooked food, and my dad and brother would come from their bowling game and we’d all sit in the dining table. We were eating and chatting happily, and then the next thing I would see is that they’re all bloodied and dead in their seats by the table. Except for me. I look down to see the rifle on my hands, and when I look up I’m back in the field. Then I just kill without thinking. I want my hands to stop but it doesn’t. I don’t—I try to tell myself to be strong, because a lot of people depend on me. On what I say and make them do. But sometimes, I’m not strong. I’m just the son of my parents, the younger brother of my hyung. I have lost and suffer like everyone else. Every day I pray that it just stops so I can breathe again too.” he says, soft and quiet almost like a whisper, and he sounded so vulnerable as he says it that Mijoo can’t help but feel a pang in her heart. 

“It’s okay to let your guard down sometimes. When you try to lift a weight that’s too heavy for you to carry alone, it will only end up falling down on you. I may never experience the pain that you feel right now but I’m here, and I can listen. So little by little the weight won’t be as heavy as it was in the beginning. You don’t have to carry these things alone.”

Daeyeol turns to her with a small and soft smile.

“I came here thinking it would be just another one of them other camps, and I was just ready to go on with my life doing what was tasked for me to do until all of this is over—if it ever will be. There’s nothing really left to do. I was on autopilot because if I buried myself in my work I’d have less time to think about those that I’ve lost. Until that day where the first thing that I saw you did was try to tell a dying soldier that he was going to be okay. For some reason I couldn’t shake it off, and then I knew I just had to go to you. It makes me work even hard to fight for life, seeing you like that. So, thank you.”

Mijoo is stunned, and she doesn’t know how to react, even though she got the full implication of it. She’s trying to come up with a response but then the moment has passed and they’re just left there walking—with their footsteps being the only sound. It doesn’t take them long before they reach her place though. She stops in front of her door, and Daeyeol leans by the wall. 

“Working in the medical field, a lot of people entrust me to save all these human lives—just like the soldiers who help protect us and equally save us. We are both in a position where a lot is expected from us because we are badly needed.”   

“We’re pillars. If we fall, then all the things that we sacrificed for will be for nothing. It might be hard, but it’s just what we need to do. We can’t hold up the foundation forever, but while we can we should do it. With great responsibility comes a greater cost.” Mijoo says, as she finds herself staring at Daeyeol’s profile, the outline of his nose to his jaw and the way his hair moves along with the early morning gust of wind. It’s too quiet, to the point that she can almost hear their breathing. Daeyeol turns to her, kindly smiling again—a small one, but it's a smile of emotion and affirmation, and in that moment Mijoo is absolutely besotted with him. 

“You just only made me admire you even more.” Daeyeol says, and she’s hoping he doesn’t notice how flustered she is.

 

—

 

“Mijoo.” she knows the voice even before she looks up from the clipboard that she’s writing on.

Daeyeol is standing there in his uniform, a bag slung over his shoulder.

“Can we talk, outside?” he says, and she nods following him. 

Once outside they stop a few meters away from the entrance and Daeyeol plays with the strap of his bag. 

“I—we have to move again. The officials have received word that there might be something around Gimpo and we have to go and do the clearing.” he explains, and Mijoo can hear the sadness on his tone.

They stay quiet, and there’s so much left to say but Mijoo doesn’t know how to put it into words. She knew this would happen, and it’s to be expected but it still takes her by surprise.

“We leave in a couple of minutes, but I can’t just not say goodbye.” he says, unable to look up and then it hits her, that this might be it. The last of it.  

“Don’t say goodbye, you make it seem like you’re never coming back.” she heaves a shaky sigh trying to make the mood light, running her hand through her hair.

“I don’t know when will we return—or if we’ll still be able to return.” he says, and both of them know he’s saying the truth. 

“I’d like you to have this.” he reaches over to his neck and gives her the dog tag that he owns and puts it around her neck. “So you have something to remind you about me.” 

Mijoo takes the plate to see Daeyeol’s name engraved on it. She takes the step forward and leaps on him for a hug, burying her face in his neck. Daeyeol wraps his arms around her and he tightens the hug—and it’s just as if time stops for them. Mijoo feels comfortable in his embrace and she doesn’t want to let him go, if she can just keep him in that hug forever she would. 

“Thank you.” Daeyeol whispers in her ear. “For being in my life, even in just a short span of time. For being a light in the darkness.” 

“Me too, but about you.” she tells him and Daeyeol shifts to kiss her on the forehead. Mijoo bites her lip to prevent herself from crying. 

“I have to go now.” he says and Mijoo gives him one last hug. 

“Take care of yourself. We’ll still have your advance birthday party when you get back—and also drink coffee in the commissary; and have long walks together.”

“I would love that.” 

“Go and save the world, Captain Yongin.” she says through teary eyes and Daeyeol chuckles as he walks towards the gates.

 

—

 

It’s been a slow day, and she’s back to where she has been before Platoon 828 came in Old Seoul. 

She’s been diligently doing the tasks, keeping the inventory, caring for the wounded and keeping the survivors safe. She used to drink every morning in the commissary, but now she avoids it because it just makes her miss Daeyeol more. 

Sujeong has been wordlessly trying to distract her by keeping her company, and she appreciates her for that. 

When she lies down by the end of her shift taking a rest she runs her fingers in the plate of the dog tag Daeyeol gave her, and closes her palm on it. She hopes he’s safe, and that they don’t encounter any trouble along the way so he can come back.

She’s doing rounds when she hears a low rumble, until it became loud and near. She looks at the closest colleague that she has, which just so happens to be Myungeun, and she has the same look of horror on her face. 

They’re under attack. 

Back then there were times where they were threatened with attacks, but the soldiers were still able to hold it off well. This one sounds awfully near, they have probably breached their border. 

There are men yelling outside and suddenly everyone is scrambling into the bunkers, those that can walk are assisting each other and those who couldn’t are being pushed towards it. The sounds of gunfire only get louder, and voices even more so. She can hear Soojung shouting directions and instructions from somewhere, and it’s just chaotic everywhere. She tries to focus her mind on doing the necessary stuff. Help patients and staff get to the bunker. Stay alive. 

She isn’t even thinking much anymore, she’s just helping anybody as fast as she can, so she attend to others as well. The rest of the nurses and doctors do the same, it’s always the lives of others before theirs first. 

Mijoo is pushing a gurney towards the bunker when there’s a strong vibration in the building along with a loud sound—and the last thing she sees is the debris falling down as quick and easy as crumbs. 

 

—

 

Daeyeol was the first one to hear about the fall of Old Seoul. 

They were already in Gimpo for a couple of days when it happened, and it was through his radio that he hears from the comms that Old Seoul is down, and the men couldn’t hold on to the attacks much longer as they had been ambushed by a large party and small bombs were involved. It took less than an hour for everything to be decimated, and it's been a few hours since anybody last heard from them.

It was like the enemies just waited for them to leave Old Seoul.

He feels numb as he listens to the order, for them to abandon Gimpo, return and clear out, check for survivors—if ever there was. His breathing is heavy and his voice is as well when he tells them the order. His body is there but his mind is far off, his heart even farther—it’s there in the middle of Old Seoul, and he’s never been one to be truly religious but he prays, asks for her to survive.   

It feels like Yongin all over again, when they arrive in Old Seoul. 

There’s no sign of life, and the head office had been decimated, as well as the other buildings. He gets off the truck and heads to the makeshift hospital, and his heart breaks at the sight of it being down to the very last foundation. He stands there listless, staring at the rubble breathing heavily. His throat feels clogged and it’s hard to breathe. He takes one step, two, until he’s in front, tearing away at the galvanized iron sheets that were used as a roof, until he got to the metals and the smaller debris. He doesn’t think at this point, he just has to take all of it away, hoping she’ll be there under. 

Somebody stops him, he isn’t sure anymore—and they pry him off from the ruins.

“I have to find her under there, she’s there!” he yells at his comrades, trying to get off from their grip. He’s shaking mad, and he’s putting all of his force on pushing the two away. 

“We’ll find her sir! But you have to take care of yourself too!” one of them answers back, and he manages to finally free himself in their grip. He sees his bleeding hands and breaks down, finally succumbing to the pain and fatigue. He gets ushered to the truck where one of the soldiers, Jaehyun, stays behind. He gives him water, and let’s him cool off in the back. 

“They’ll find her sir.” he tries to assure him and Daeyeol wishes, begs at anything, for it to be true. “Just rest first sir, you haven’t slept since a few days ago. I’ll keep watch.” 

Daeyeol is hesitant, but the fatigue takes over and his eyes finally close—his heart heavy and broken down and with Mijoo’s face etched in his mind.

 

—

 

When he wakes up he has a light headache, and Jaehyun is nowhere to be found. He steps off the truck and sees that the soldiers had already set up a makeshift camp for the survivors. There aren’t a lot of them, looking around less than 20, and when one of the soldiers spot him he salutes. 

“Sir, they found the doctor.” he says, and Daeyeol’s breath hitches. 

“Is she alright? Where is she?” 

“One of the doctors that survived is tending to her. They’re in the back.” the soldier points him to a tent and he walks towards it, gently opening the flap to go in. 

He finds Mijoo laid down, bloodied, bruised and filled with cuts from the debris. The doctor looks at him and probably recognizes who he is, and she steps aside.

“She wasn’t able to make it into the bunker Lieutenant. She got pinned down in the debris for quite some time. She needs immediate medical attention and I can only try to stop the bleeding for a while.” she says, voice small and downcast. 

“Why isn’t she being transferred to the nearest camp? Along with the other critical survivors?” 

“There aren’t any others that are critical. They’re all already dead. We’ve only been holding on to her for this long because of you. But she’s in excruciating pain right now, and the other soldiers won’t mobilize.” 

“What are you trying to imply?” his voice comes off strong, and he shoots a pointed look at her.

“She’s suffering too much. Don’t get me wrong, she’s also my friend, and this is hurting me too.” she says, heaving a dejected sigh. She’s looking at him straight in the eye, as if begging, but Daeyeol shakes his head. 

“No, prepare her for movement. I’m taking her to the nearest camp.” he says firm and determined. 

He storms out of the tent and goes up to where the rest of his troop is.

“Prepare the trucks for mobilization. We’re moving to the nearest camp.” he orders, and Jangjun—one of the soldiers who is in a latter batch, steps out.

“We can’t sir. We don’t have enough resources to move out. We can make room for the survivors, but we don’t have the fuel, food, or water to sustain since there was nothing in Gimpo. We have to hold out until the unit sends out reinforcements.” he says, and Daeyeol is stumped. 

“Did the unit say anything on when they’ll be able to send out?” 

“They said they’ll be here tomorrow.” 

Daeyeol frustratedly wipes his face with his both hands and grits his teeth.

“How much do we have left?”   

“Enough for only 10 kilometers or so for fuel. The food will last us for tonight including the civilians,  but tomorrow morning the supply would definitely need to arrive. Suwon is the closest active base and it's a little over 30 kilometers south.” Jangjun reports to him, and he sighs. The fuel is not enough to even go halfway to the next camp, but if he waits the next day there’s no guarantee Mijoo will survive. “Sorry sir. It’s just not possible.” Jangjun says, and he turns to look to the other soldiers who looked apologetic as well. 

He returns to the tent and pulls the doctor aside. 

“Can she last until the morning?” he asks the doctor. She shakes her head. 

“It’s either we operate on her now, or we just end her suffering. Blood is clogging up in her system.” 

Daeyeol’s mind is running a mile a second trying to think, he just doesn’t want to lose her like this.

“Can’t you operate on her? Just for her to stay alive until tomorrow. First thing in the morning we can get her to the nearest camp.” he asks of her desperately, clutching at the end of her coat. She sighs deeply, and places a hand on his shoulder. 

“I can try to at least remove some of the blockage and stop the bleeding, but the rest she needs a proper medical team for and a facility that can do the procedure well. I also don’t have any supplies, as you can see the auditorium and gymnasium is down.”

“Me and my men can look for it. We’ll go through the rubble. Tell me everything you need. I’d do anything for her at this point.” he sighs a little in relief upon the opportunity.

“I would just like to say that I can’t guarantee her survival for this, but I’ll do my best.” 

“Please do. We can try. It’s better than just letting her go away without trying.” 

The doctor nods at him, and he goes to kiss Mijoo in the forehead lightly.

“We’ll save you okay? Just hold on for a bit.”

 

—

 

Daeyeol’s jittery the moment the jeep enters the camp, his grip tight on the dog tag he’s wearing. He’s been restless ever since a couple of hours ago, and he knows his fellow soldiers can feel it but they’re not just saying anything. 

The jeep stops in front of one of the buildings, and when he gets off he goes to salute the officer present. The officer talks about updates and other information and he tries so hard to pay attention but his mind is already somewhere else. They talk more for a few minutes and when the officer leaves him to attend to other matters, he almost practically sprints out to go to the clinic. 

He’s just about to ask one of the nurses that went out the door but then something collides with him, and the next thing he knows he has Mijoo squeezing the life out of him.

After getting nothing from Gimpo, then going back to Old Seoul, the promised resources return before the crack of dawn and they were able to arrive at Suwon first thing in the morning. Mijoo was immediately operated at and Daeyeol stayed outside waiting, nervous and fidgeting for hours until one of the nurses came out then. He almost melted into the ground when they told him it went okay, and when she first opened her eyes he was there holding her hand and he was so relieved he felt as if his heart would explode.

“You came back early.” Mijoo says as she’s still enveloping him in a hug.

“Still a few hours late. I was itching to get here last night, but we just couldn’t leave Daejeon without waiting for the other truck. I missed you.” he says, giving Mijoo a kiss in the forehead, then on the lips. He missed her so much, he was ready to melt in her kiss the moment their lips met. Mijoo drapes her arms on his neck, and Daeyeol holds her closer as they deepen the kiss. 

It was undeniable that he felt something towards her ever since the beginning, but he was also weary at times because his thoughts got the best of him. He felt so many insecurities and anxieties, but when Mijoo coaxed her into talking about his dream that fateful night he was then sure that what he felt for her wasn’t just a simple admiration anymore. She was brilliant, a beautiful flower in the middle of a dying desert, and he was too lucky to be able to encounter such a gem like her. 

When he thought he lost her already it made him realize how much was left unsaid and some things were left undone yet, and he was so desperate to bring her back just so that he could show all these things to her because he wants to care for her, and love her, and tell her that this world is only worthwhile with her in it. 

So when she wakes up the first thing he does is tell her he loves her, out of pure emotion. 

“Me too, but about you.” she says, just like the last time, clear as day, and Daeyeol would’ve already hugged her then and kissed her had she not been recovering. He did though, when she was already done recovering and he peppered her beautiful face with all the kisses he could give. 

“My shift is almost over. Can you wait for a little while?” she says when they pull away from the kiss. 

“I would wait a lifetime for you.” he says, and Mijoo hits him in the shoulder. 

“I really missed you. I love you.” Mijoo hugs him again, softly saying it through his uniform. 

“I love you too, now get back to work. You’re still on duty.” he says as he ushers her back inside with a hand on her waist.

“When are we never on duty anyway?” she playfully kisses him again before going back to work. 

**Author's Note:**

> i began writing this in 2018, and ended in 2019 so it was literally a year in the making! well, 3 days to be exact :>
> 
> let me know in the comments below what other mijoo and daeyeol fics would you like to read next ♡


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